Cate's Diary

Thanks, hon. I had a fun day. The worst of them (the Captain) wasn't there, which made it easier. We made sure we didn't get there too early. G & I played in a group with 2 other pairs, who were all Vets, so the company was pretty good. It was a beautiful day- cool, but sunny & hardly any wind. The atmosphere at the club is terrible & it was a very poor turn up (only 18 including us). It used to be at least double that. The club is imploding, but we feel distanced from it. We talked about it on the way home & how much better it feels not to be too involved. We still do work around the place, but stay out of the sniping & bitching (the politics) of it all.
I have had the thought that 18 holes of golf pushing a buggy around, should show a lot more steps on my Fitbit than it does, so yesterday I put it in a sock. I'll do this from now on as it showed 17,669 steps, 24 floors, 12.47 km, 236 active minutes for the day, which would be much more accurate than before. I got around fairly well but slept most of last evening & until 8 am this morning!
A quiet day at home today as we're going into town tomorrow for eye appointments (& a haircut for me). We'll do lots of shopping as well while we're there.
 
Yay for no "politics" (I think that deserves scare quotes)! Some impressive steps as well, no wonder you slept so much :D
 
Cate well done on all the steps . You inspire me a lot . Yo make yourself go out and do things which is great . I going to take leaf out of your book .
 
Thanks, LaMa & Petal xoxo
Had a quiet day on Sunday & re-charged my batteries.
Had a big day yesterday- We both had our eyes checked (fragrance-free opto), I am getting new glasses, which I really like (they are colourful). I had a hair-cut with my favourite hairdresser(you have to take pot luck & I got lucky), G bought 2 jumpers & I got 2 Winter shirts, we had a delicious healthy lunch, did some food shopping & had a really good day. It was tiring, but successful.
I'm about to head soon for G's golf day. We have 5 of his golfing buddies visiting from another club. They are great fun & it is such a change.
 
All of that sounds lovely! So glad you´re finding people/services where your issues are being taken seriously and having a good time again.
 
LaMaria said:
All of that sounds lovely! So glad you´re finding people/services where your issues are being taken seriously and having a good time again.
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It was a lovely day, LaMa. It really is heartening to be taken seriously & today I was absolutely gobsmacked. I went into the bank with my mask on today (I have permission) & the teller who I didn't recognise (she has only served me once) said that she didn't wear perfume today as she thought I might come in. The other teller who always reeks of perfume said "me either", so I took my mask off & we chatted for about 10 minutes. I made sure I let them know how appreciative I am.
Petal001 said:
That sounds like a really great day Cate . New glasses and a haircut is great .
Were you both always keen golfers ?
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I'm really looking forward to getting the glasses :) I only took up golf about 5 years ago. G used to bore me silly talking about his game & I wasn't interested in playing until I got a call from one of the women asking me if I was interested in participating in group lessons. I said yes & then got the bug. G has been playing since he was a little kid.

I have had a very mixed day. I think I was tired out from our big day yesterday, but I sensed something was wrong with my sister as her messages yesterday were odd. I rang her this morning & asked her. One of the members of our allergy group (S) has committed suicide. The family rang H yesterday to tell her. H has been notifying members & talking to her family. She has had people crying on the phone & she sounded sad. I told her that she had done everything she could to help this woman as I know what she has done for her. She had just become homeless & had been unable to find safe, affordable accommodation. She was about to live in her car. Her sister & BIL had refused to help her apparently. We had a good talk about it. Our brother committed suicide at 25 & I think hearing of yet another suicide knocks the stuffing out of us. My caring & very supportive sister offered up her personal phone number for anyone in the allergy forum to contact her if they wanted to talk about it. She is very strong & very brave. I'm so proud of her!
 
cate said:
One of the members of our allergy group (S) has committed suicide.
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I´m so sorry to hear that. Having health issues is stressful enough on its own, adding homelessness would make anyone feel desperate. I wish the world were a kinder place.
 
Thanks, LaMa. I wish the world was a kinder place too. Unfortunately, her family thought MCS was all in her head & may still think that. One of the women in the forum lives near her & had been asked to put her up temporarily but declined & she has been criticising the family. There is no point blaming anyone in this situation. There is a plan afoot to buy some land & build safe housing, but it is a huge project & no-one in the group is really physically or mentally up to tackling it. I hope it happens. Money was left to the group that would go a long way to implementing it. Everyone has different issues so it would be very complex.
I'm feeling OK today & am off to golf. I am going to start a daily exercise plan tomorrow, that will include squats.
 
It´s such a big topic. And mental stuff DOES play a role in how intensely we react to allergens. But that doesn´t mean it´s all in our heads, nor that even the most committed monk could meditate their way out of allergies.

Good luck with the squats! Maybe set up a plan that´ll alternate between squats and something like dumbbell exercises so your muscles always have a day to rest up and you won´t get burned out on your plan as quickly.
 
Cate
I am sorry to hear about the loss of that woman. Your sister is great and if must be so hard on her . Too common now adays

Good luck with golf today and with the squats tomorrow. Good idea of LaMa to alternate
 
Very tragic about the woman .... suicide is so devastating for those left behind. I went through it once with a close friend and pray I never have to again. So many unanswered questions and what ifs. It's truly an unimaginably painful experience.

But on a brighter note ... yay for squats! :D I need some squats in my life. Maybe this will be the inspiration I need right now!

Have a great day, Kate!
 
Thank you, LaMa, Petal & Jen.
I didn't know S or have any personal connection to her on the allergy forum. I can understand her taking that option when her future did look really bleak. Without support, life would be so different. There is such a lack of knowledge about MCS & therefore little support or understanding. A couple of people in the allergy group have been sectioned & luckily they have had the support of the allergy group to get them out, therefore it is a common fear among members that people will not be believed & the same could happen to them. Most doctors put this into the "too hard" basket.


Golf- had a lovely day. I'm physically getting around the course much easier & I put it down to taking Rose Hip capsules. A golfing friend put me onto them a few months ago when we played at another club & I could hardly walk with my Arthritis. She said she had put her husband & dog ( :D ) onto them & it had made a huge difference to them both. They are expensive here in Aus. but I bought some from the US much cheaper (& postage free) & just bought a year's supply. My arthritis is heaps better. Steps Wed- 17,000, 21 floors, 221 active minutes :)
Daily exercise- I'm going to start off just with 10 squats a day for a week & then keep adding something each week. I'll start today & then next Monday I'll add bicep curls maybe.
Counting calories- I am finding this a little difficult, but usually complete this at the end of the day or the day after. Being conscious of it though.
 
I like the idea of counting calories after the fact. That way you don´t have to be counting all of the things all of the time but you still have all the advantages of knowing what your food is doing for you caloriewise.
 
Cate
I think it’s fine to count when you can . My old leader had a saying if you bite it write it . lol . Realistically that’s too hard I never quote got it .

Rosehips sound good . Good to hear about these things . Well done on the steps and the calories too .

Hot here again today and I’m off to work . Have a lovely day
 
Hi Cate! Really sorry to hear about your group member who committed suicide. A friend in college committed suicide, and it really affected everyone for years and years. All I can think is hopefully they found the love and acceptance and peace they were missing after they passed.

Can I ask more about rose hips and arthritis? What dosage are you taking? My mom has bad arthritis and had a knee replacement, so it's hard to get her out exercising. We used to pick wild rose hips in the fall and have them dried in tea for their vitamin C.

Do you think environmental sensitivities and arthritis have a connection as far as the immune system being disturbed? I am allergic to all sorts of cleaning products and strong perfumes, and try to eat organic because I read about how there are tens of thousands of new chemicals in the environment in the modern age, and it's wreaking havoc on our bodies. I think I remember reading that this can lead to more obesity in the population because of inflammation and bodily stress from being allergic to so many new things that the body never had to contend with before. I read this so long ago I forget the specifics. But I do know that once you are allergic, it increases the likelihood of having more allergies, maybe because your immune system can only fight so many fronts at once. I try to really boost my immune system before a vacation because I know I will be going to hotels where they spray air fresheners, be around smokers, and other things that really crash my immunity quickly. This vacation I did ok, but did go back on black tea because the allergies were so strong and they make me really sleepy. I have to wean myself off of the tea again now. Sorry to be so vague in trying to describe the connection between inflammation and the immune system and allergens. My memory is not as great as it used to be!

Are there foods or supplements that help for your allergies? I tend to crave sugar and caffeine when I am highly allergic, so I eat things with probiotics to counteract the sugar cravings, but I really don't think this does any good for the allergies themselves, it just stops the symptoms of craving bad things. Other than that, I take a lot of vitamin C, but I really haven't studied this, so it's just trial and error.

Anyway, you inspired me to try squats. Haven't done them since martial arts classes in my 20s, but I think I'll try them again! Have to start my arm weights again, too!
 
LaMaria said:
I like the idea of counting calories after the fact. That way you don´t have to be counting all of the things all of the time but you still have all the advantages of knowing what your food is doing for you caloriewise.
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I think it's better to have a general idea of what I eat, but I prefer to put my calories in before I eat anything as it puts the brakes on for me. At least I'm being more aware.
Petal001 said:
Cate
I think it’s fine to count when you can . My old leader had a saying if you bite it write it . lol . Realistically that’s too hard I never quote got it .
Rosehips sound good. Good to hear about these things. Well done on the steps and the calories too.
Hot here again today and I’m off to work . Have a lovely day
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Thanks, Petal. I won't say I'm feeling 100% focussed, but I'm getting there.
Marsia said:
Hi Cate! Really sorry to hear about your group member who committed suicide. A friend in college committed suicide, and it really affected everyone for years and years. All I can think is hopefully they found the love and acceptance and peace they were missing after they passed.

Can I ask more about rose hips and arthritis? What dosage are you taking? My mom has bad arthritis and had a knee replacement, so it's hard to get her out exercising. We used to pick wild rose hips in the fall and have them dried in tea for their vitamin C.

Do you think environmental sensitivities and arthritis have a connection as far as the immune system being disturbed? I am allergic to all sorts of cleaning products and strong perfumes, and try to eat organic because I read about how there are tens of thousands of new chemicals in the environment in the modern age, and it's wreaking havoc on our bodies. I think I remember reading that this can lead to more obesity in the population because of inflammation and bodily stress from being allergic to so many new things that the body never had to contend with before. I read this so long ago I forget the specifics. But I do know that once you are allergic, it increases the likelihood of having more allergies, maybe because your immune system can only fight so many fronts at once. I try to really boost my immune system before a vacation because I know I will be going to hotels where they spray air fresheners, be around smokers, and other things that really crash my immunity quickly. This vacation I did ok, but did go back on black tea because the allergies were so strong and they make me really sleepy. I have to wean myself off of the tea again now. Sorry to be so vague in trying to describe the connection between inflammation and the immune system and allergens. My memory is not as great as it used to be!

Are there foods or supplements that help for your allergies? I tend to crave sugar and caffeine when I am highly allergic, so I eat things with probiotics to counteract the sugar cravings, but I really don't think this does any good for the allergies themselves, it just stops the symptoms of craving bad things. Other than that, I take a lot of vitamin C, but I really haven't studied this, so it's just trial and error.

Anyway, you inspired me to try squats. Haven't done them since martial arts classes in my 20s, but I think I'll try them again! Have to start my arm weights again, too!
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Hi, Marsia. The Rosehip capsules I am taking are 55o mg & I take 3 a day now, but started off taking 4 a day for the first 2 months. I get them from iHerb as they are way cheaper than here (AU$9 for 100). I just bought a year's supply. I'm going to stop taking Glucosamine as I don't think that was helping.
Re:allergies, but especially environmental sensitivities- Personally, I think that there is a genetic predisposition in our family, but also the fact that there are so many chemicals out there & we are constantly in this toxic environment. Your question is a really good one & I will try to answer it better later on today. I am no expert on MCS or TILT, but I have always felt that there is a strong connection between allergies, Asthma & Arthritis & a lowering of your immune system. My sister takes so many supplements & I have added some, but really don't know if they are making any difference or not. It's all a bit mind-boggling for me still. I haven't come to terms with it all yet. I have looked up so many articles & here is a few of them- https://link.springer.com/article/1...Internal.Event.1.SEM.ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst
https://www.multiplechemicalsensitivity.org/multiple-chemical-sensitivity-2.php
& this- http://www.mcsresearch.net/causes.htm (which I have only just found & will read up on later).
Re: squats. I did 10 last night before bed & boy, did my knees crack!
I also did a big load of wood with G & my arms were aching, so I will count them as bicep curls.
I had better get moving, right now!
xoxo Cate

.
 
Having a good day today. I did 23 squats & 10 push offs(off a wall!) I attempted push ups on the floor, but.... nope- not happening!
Our older son, D, & our 2 younger grandkids are about to arrive for dinner. I haven't seen as much of them as usual since my big reaction in March & I have missed them!
We are having salmon & veg for dinner & G has made a gluten-free white chocolate & cherry cake.
 
Cate
Enjoy the dinner with family . We are having my son tonight too and will do some bbq I think .
When I feel a little more well which I hope be this weekend I will to some squats and arm work too .
 
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